Southridge Mall Cooks Up Recipes for Creativity During Kidgits Lil' Chefs, Sat., May 18

Aspiring young chefs and little foodies are invited to get a taste of just how fun fare can be at Battlefield Mall’s Simon Kidgits Club Lil Chefs, an annual Simon® malls event designed to get kids learning about the craft of cooking and all things food. The event will take place on Sat., May 18, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the east jcpenney court, as part of a series of children’s culinary programs being hosted at approximately 100 Simon malls across the country.

The hands-on atmosphere of Lil Chefs will engage both parents and children in exploring the endless imaginative possibilities of pairing creativity with cuisine. At the event, families will have the chance to participate in a variety of food-focused festivities ranging from cooking demonstrations to craft-making with meal items. Also as part of the event, kids are encouraged to help those in need by bringing a non-perishable food item to Battlefield Mall to be donated to their local food bank.

The presenting sponsor for the 2013 Simon Kidgits Club Lil Chefs event is Qubo, a children’s network that is a safe destination for kids of all ages, airing quality programs that entertain and celebrate the fun of learning!

“Simon Kidgits Club continuously brings families unique, in-person opportunities to learn and use their imaginations. Simon malls’ Lil Chefs events deliver just that, a platform for kids and the community to interact with one another, learn and be entertained together by something we’re all familiar with: food,” said Jayne Stilson, assistant vice president of business development for Simon Brand Ventures, the business-to-consumer division of Simon Property Group.

The Simon Kidgits Club is a fun and informative program that focuses on health, wellness, education, safety and entertainment for children ages 3 to 8. This year marks Simon Kidgits Club’s 10th anniversary of serving as a community event staple for kids and parents by rewarding young members for good behavior; offering reading hours featuring favorite children’s authors; and celebrating holidays like Halloween, Christmas and Easter. Simon Kidgits’ Club programs have engaged more than 1.8 million parents and kids since its inception.

For more information about the Simon Kidgits Club and Lil Chefs events, visit www.simon.com/kidgits, www.simon.com/mall/battlefield-mall, www.facebook.com/BattlefieldMall or www.twitter.com/BattlefieldMall.

About Battlefield Mall

Battlefield Mall is Southwest Missouri’s premier shopping destination. Anchored by Dillard’s, jcpenney, Macy’s and Sears, the climate-controlled indoor mall and outdoor lifestyle center features more than 153 popular retail stores, such as Banana Republic, Bath & Body Works, Coach, Express, LOFT, Pandora, White House Black Market and Victoria’s Secret. In addition, shoppers enjoy a variety of dining options, including Ruby Tuesday, Chick-Fil-A, Hu Hot, Charley’s Philly Steaks, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and more. Battlefield Mall is located at 2825 S. Glenstone Avenue in Springfield, Missouri, just 2 miles west of Highway 65. For additional information, please contact Battlefield Mall at (417) 883-7777 or visit www.simon.com/mall/battlefield-mall, www.facebook.com/BattlefieldMall or www.twitter.com/BattlefieldMall.

About Simon Property Group

Simon Property Group, Inc. (NYSE:SPG) is an S&P 100 company and the largest real estate company in the world.  The Company currently owns or has an interest in 326 retail real estate properties in North America and Asia comprising 241 million square feet. We are headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana and employ approximately 5,500 people in the U.S.  For more information, visit the Simon Property Group website at www.simon.com.

About Simon Brand Ventures

Simon Brand Ventures (SBV), Simon's business-to-consumer arm, is pioneering the transformation of shopping centers into a medium where consumer brands can build relationships with Simon shoppers who make over 2.8 billion visits each year.  Simon's vast franchise of market-leading shopping centers nationwide provides SBV the foundation to monetize the distribution system through numerous consumer ventures. SBV and its affiliates have engaged in a number of consumer business initiatives, including the Simon Visa Giftcard® and the American Express®/Simon Giftcard; launch of Simon platform programs such as Simon dTour Live® and Simon Kidgits Club®; a national media delivery channel including static, digital and experiential marketing and advertising vehicles; and multiple national and local marketing alliances with Coca-Cola and Visa U.S.A. among others.

About Qubo

Qubo is a safe haven where kids and their caregivers can find entertainment that celebrates the fun of learning! As the only network to offer age-appropriate programming for the unique 5- to 8-year-old age group, Qubo provides a vital entertainment bridge between the preschool and “tween” audiences. Qubo also encourages healthy minds and bodies, and its shows depict positive role models with good values that motivate kids to become good friends, family members and teammates. Qubo is available 24/7 and can be seen Wednesday-Friday mornings on ION Television. For more information, visit www.qubo.com.